Jules Verve Voyager and VoyagerJr:
Interactive Web Map Tools for Science, Education and Outreach
Lou Estey

Our goal has been to develop user-friendly Web tools to make scientific
data and results accessible to a large number and variety of users.
The top layer provides the user with scientific context, and is targeted
to be usable by students and teachers grades 8-12 and introductory
college courses. The underlaying layers include interactive map
tools which can be used in conjunction with the top layer context
or by themselves.
The 'Jules Verne Voyager' interactive map tool provides simple virtual
exploration of Earth and other worlds (homepage http://jules.unavco.ucar.edu).
The Voyager tools runs on common Web browsers and gives the user easy
access to gigabytes of scientific and other data available in map form.
The operation of the tool is simple enough for 8th graders, though it
generally assumes a knowledgeable user to put the displayed information
into a proper scientific context. The engine for creating the map images
at the server is based on Paul Wessel's and Walter Smith's
'Generic Mapping Tools' or GMT which is widely used by the scientific
community. One of the unique aspects of the Voyager maps, because they
are produced with GMT, is that the map images can be made available to
the advanced user in PostScript form. The Jules Verne Voyager tool was
selected by William Holt and Corne Kreemer (SUNY Stony Brook) to display
the data and results of the International Lithosphere Project (ILP)
Global Strain Rate Map (GSRM) Project
(http://jules.unavco.ucar.edu/Voyager/ILP_GSRM and see the GSRM
homepage at http://archive.unavco.ucar.edu/ilp_gsrm). The ILP GSRM is
currently the most advanced global model of Earth surface deformation
incorporating GPS measurements, seismic data, and geologic constraints.
The Voyager tool is used to create images for a "canned" image tool
called 'Voyager Junior', currently prototyped for Earth, plus
including the ILP GSRM results (see http://jules.unavco.ucar.edu/VoyagerJr/Earth).
Using about 3000 pre-computed Earth map images and overlays
VoyagerJr can rapidly serve and display maps to a large number
of users simultaneously, and is therefore more amenable to
a mass education and outreach use. A limited form of scientific
context is provided by automatic pop-up legends.
To provide a better framework for understanding the wealth
of information in the Voyager data, a prototype Web site
'Exploring Our Dynamic Planet' (http://www.dpc.ucar.edu/VoyagerJr)
has been developed. This is a model outline site showing
how one might introduce the necessary science background
for students and explain the various tools. An outline of
possible earth science curriculum activities is under development.